It was a true celebration of life as
nearly 500 cancer survivors, their
loved ones and Winthrop staff gathered
at Winthrop’s 11th Annual Cancer
Survivors Day on June 4 at the Long
Island Marriott Hotel in Uniondale.
The opening remarks from keynote
speaker Jonathan Haas, MD, Associate
Director of the Division of Radiation
Oncology at Winthrop, captured the
essence of this inspiring annual event.
“We meet here today as winners.
We have won because all
of us in the room, working
together, have overcome a
battle against one of the
scariest words and diseases
that we know –
cancer – to celebrate as
Winthrop cancer survivors,”
said Dr. Haas.
The National Cancer
Survivors Day Foundation
defines a “survivor” as
anyone living with a history
of cancer – from the
moment of diagnosis
through the remainder of
life. The annual celebration
applauds the
resilience of the human
spirit and recognizes the
significant strides made in
the fight against cancer.
Dr. Haas also
reflected on the “astounding”
advances in cancer
care that have occurred
since he joined the Winthrop team
12 years ago.
“I see the child who I treated for
a glioblastoma – the most challenging
brain tumor that we know – grow up
to become a radiation oncology therapist.
I see the medical student with
Hodgkins Disease, who Dr. Weiner and I
cured, now becoming an oncologist. I
see my Hodgkins patient who was told
she probably couldn’t have children
when diagnosed 11 years ago send me a
picture of her baby daughter… simply
writing ‘thank you’ on the card,” he said.
Sharing her story of survival and
optimism, guest speaker and cancer
survivor Joyce Glicker emphasized the
importance of never giving up.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999,
she passed her five-year mark with
positive news in 2005 and celebrated.
However, in November of that same
year she was diagnosed with stage four
cancer. Mrs. Glicker thanked her loving
family and friends for their support,
emphasizing that cancer can “bring out
the best in people.” She also praised
Winthrop and the dedicated team of
healthcare professionals who have
played an instrumental role in her care
over the years.
“It has been 10 years since the
start of my cancer journey and being
cared for by oncologist Alexander
Hindenberg, MD, and his staff has
helped me feel like I am always in safe
and comfortable hands,” she said.
Guest speaker Beth Schwartz also
shared her thoughts as a caregiver for
her 24-year-old daughter, Melisande,
who was diagnosed with Leukemia last
fall. She praised her daughter’s strength
and thanked Harry Staszewski, MD,
Chief of the Division of Oncology/
Hematology at Winthrop, for the calm
and reassuring manner he provided
while treating Melisande, who has since
completed the requirements for her
teaching degree.
In addition to the dinner celebration,
which included dancing and raffle
prizes, Winthrop’s Institute for Cancer
Care sponsored an educational cancer
survivors workshop on June 24.
For additional information about
Winthrop’s Institute for Cancer Care,
please call 1-866-WINTHROP.
|
Vol. 19, No. 2
Summer 2009
Back to Publications
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